A building designer may suit a straightforward renovation, extension or standard home. An architect may add more value to a highly customised design, heritage property or difficult site.

More than 1,200 professionals on Bark have supported over 12,600 architecture and design projects across Australia. You too can find an expert for your home project in moments!

It's important to note that the professional’s title alone doesn’t tell you who will offer the better service. State licensing, relevant experience and the work included in each proposal can matter more.

This guide helps you choose according to the project you’re planning rather than assumptions about either profession.

How do you decide whether you need an architect or building designer?

Start with four practical questions about the site, design, support and local requirements.

How complicated is your site?

A flat suburban block is generally simpler than a steep, narrow or irregular property. Extra coordination may be needed where the site has:

• Heritage controls
• Bushfire or flood overlays
• Difficult access
• Significant trees
• Tight boundaries
• Existing structural issues
• Unusual planning controls

A difficult site doesn’t automatically require an architect, but it makes relevant experience more important. Getting the site constraints wrong early can lead to redesigns, approval delays and avoidable costs later.

How customised is your design?

A simple bedroom addition is different from rethinking an entire home’s layout, light, privacy and relationship with the site.

An architect may suit a project that needs a highly tailored spatial response or detailed material design. A building designer can be equally suitable for a clear functional brief, particularly when they have completed similar homes.

For a cosmetic kitchen or bathroom project that doesn’t alter the structure or layout, an interior designer may be the more relevant starting point.

How much support do you want?

Some homeowners only need plans for approval and construction. Others want continued help with consultants, tendering, builder selection and the building contract.

Compare the proposed scope carefully. One professional may finish after producing the drawings, while another remains involved through approvals and construction.

Where builder selection forms part of the service, clarify whether the designer will prepare tender documents, assess submissions or help you compare suitable builders before signing a contract.

What does your state require?

Architects must register before using the protected title or offering services as an architect. Each Australian state and territory has its own registration board.

Rules for building designers aren’t nationally uniform. Queensland, for example, has low-rise, medium-rise and open building-design licence classes.

Confirm the requirements for your state and building type before signing a contract.

Which professional suits different home projects?

There’s no national rule assigning every project type to one profession. The following table is a practical starting point rather than a legal requirement.

Architect or building designer by project type

Ask both professions for a proposal when the project could suit either. The questions they ask and the process they recommend often reveal who understands the brief best.

Post the same project brief in Bark’s architect directory so you can compare the design approach, service scope and fee before committing to one proposal.

What does an architect or building designer do during a project?

Both professionals can work across several stages. The main differences tend to be their experience, service depth, registration and permitted scope.

Feasibility and briefing

Early feasibility work helps establish whether your plans fit the site, budget and relevant controls.

An architect or building designer may review the existing home, clarify the brief, identify constraints and recommend other consultants you’re likely to need. This can prevent you from developing a design that is unaffordable or unlikely to receive approval.

Concept design

Concept design turns the brief into an initial layout and design direction.

The work may explore room arrangement, natural light, privacy, circulation and indoor-outdoor connections. Architects are often engaged to develop several options or a highly customised response, although experienced building designers can also provide strong concept design.

Who handles planning and building approvals?

Your project may need planning approval, development approval, a building permit or certification.

An architect or building designer may prepare the drawings and coordinate supporting reports. A second-storey addition or work affecting a load-bearing wall will generally require formal approval and technical documentation.

Purely cosmetic work such as repainting or replacing cabinets in the same position is less likely to require building approval. Always confirm the pathway with the relevant council, building surveyor or certifier.

A planning consultant may be useful where the site has heritage controls, unusual zoning, overlays, objections or a proposed variation.

Who prepares the detailed drawings?

Detailed documentation tells the builder and other consultants how the design should be constructed.

It may include floor plans, elevations, sections, construction details, schedules, material information and engineering coordination. Check the proposal carefully because the level of detail varies considerably between services.

Who helps during construction?

Some architects provide contract administration and attend the site during construction.

Building designers may offer similar support, while others finish once the drawings and approvals are complete. Neither title automatically includes project management, site supervision or responsibility for the builder’s work.

What is the legal difference between an architect and a building designer?

An architect must be registered with the relevant state or territory architects board.

The most common pathway includes an accredited architecture qualification, practical experience and the Architectural Practice Examination. The Architects Accreditation Council of Australia, or AACA, also provides alternative assessment pathways for eligible practitioners.

Building designers may hold diplomas, advanced diplomas or related degrees. Their licensing and registration requirements vary between jurisdictions.

Architect and building designer requirements

Professional association membership may support credibility, but it doesn’t replace any registration or licence required by law.

When are you legally required to hire an architect?

Most Australian residential projects don’t legally require an architect simply because they’re large, expensive or complex.

Architects legislation mainly controls who may use the title and offer architectural services. Other laws may require a registered building designer, engineer, surveyor, certifier or other qualified professional for particular work.

Architect registration authorities in Australia

A second-storey extension, for example, may require planning approval, a building permit and engineering documents without requiring an architect specifically. The relevant regulator, council, surveyor or certifier can confirm which qualifications the project requires.

What is the difference between a building designer and a draftsperson?

A draftsperson, sometimes called a draftsman, usually prepares technical drawings for approval or construction.

Their work may involve documenting an existing concept, drawing elevations or updating plans after consultant feedback. A building designer often takes a wider role in developing the design itself.

The terms can overlap. A draftsperson may also be a qualified building designer, architect or regulated practitioner.

Rather than relying on the title, ask whether the professional will:

• Develop the concept
• Review planning controls
• Coordinate consultants
• Prepare approval plans
• Resolve construction details
• Stay involved during the build

Technically accurate drawings don’t guarantee that the layout will work for your household or that the proposal will receive approval.

Can a building designer provide the same services as an architect?

For many residential projects, an experienced building designer can provide the design and documentation you need.

Their service may cover concept plans, floor plans, elevations, approval documents, consultant coordination, construction drawings and limited support during the build.

A building designer can’t call themselves an architect unless they hold architect registration. Their work may also be limited by licence class, building height, classification or insurance.

Not every architect provides a full project-management service either. Compare what each professional will actually deliver rather than assuming what is included from the title.

How much does an architect cost compared with a building designer?

Fees vary with the construction budget, complexity and service scope. The following figures are indicative and exclude GST.

Architect and building designer fees

Confirm whether the percentage is calculated against the original construction budget or the final building cost. You should also ask whether consultant fees, application charges and additional revisions are excluded.

Indicative design fees by construction budget

A percentage fee rises with the construction budget. Before comparing prices, check whether each proposal includes planning, documentation, consultant coordination and construction support.

A lower quote may become more expensive once omitted services and additional revisions are added. Bark’s architect cost guide explains the common fee structures in more detail.

How do you compare architect and building designer proposals?

A useful proposal should make the scope, exclusions, fee structure and responsibilities easy to understand.

What should the scope include?

Look for a clear explanation of the site assessment, feasibility advice, concept design, revisions, approval documentation and consultant coordination.

Tendering, builder selection and construction support may be priced separately. Confirm what the professional will deliver at each stage before comparing the total fees.

Which exclusions should you check?

Common exclusions include:

• Land surveying
• Structural engineering
• Energy reports
• Planning advice
• Government fees
• Travel
• Extra revisions

These items can materially change the final design cost.

How do you assess relevant experience?

Ask to see completed projects with a similar budget, site, building type and approval pathway.

A strong commercial portfolio may not demonstrate residential expertise. Likewise, standard new-home experience may not transfer well to heritage work or a constrained inner-city site.

How do you verify registration?

Search the relevant state or territory board when someone uses the title “architect”.

For building designers, check the licence or registration required by your state. Queensland’s low-rise licence, for example, covers specified Class 1 and Class 10 buildings as well as some smaller Class 2–9 projects.

What should the contract say about copyright?

The creator generally retains copyright unless the agreement states otherwise.

Confirm how you may use the drawings, provide them to builders or transfer the project to another professional. Also check what happens if you end the engagement before all stages are complete.

Which other professionals might your project need?

An architect or building designer won’t replace every specialist. The consultants you need should be identified early enough for their work to shape the design.

Land surveyor

A surveyor can confirm boundaries, levels, easements and existing site features.

Extensions, new homes and work near boundaries often need accurate survey information. A minor internal renovation may not.

Structural engineer

A structural engineer designs footings, beams, slabs, retaining walls and other structural elements.

The architect or building designer coordinates this work with the wider design. Contact a structural engineer early when removing load-bearing walls, adding another storey or working on unstable ground.

Building surveyor or certifier

A building surveyor or certifier assesses the plans against the applicable building requirements.

They may issue permits, carry out mandatory inspections and provide final certification. They aren’t the project manager and must remain independent where the law requires it.

Planning consultant

A planning consultant may help with heritage controls, unusual zoning, overlays, objections or proposed variations.

Early planning advice can prevent you from paying for a fully developed design that has little prospect of approval.

Landscaping

A new home or major extension can change drainage, access, privacy and the way outdoor areas connect with the building.

Involving a landscape professional during design can help coordinate levels, planting, paths and outdoor living areas before construction decisions limit the options.

What mistakes should you avoid when planning your home?

One architect Bark spoke to said a common mistake is designing for what friends and family expect rather than for how the household actually lives.

Focus on which rooms you use, what currently frustrates you and how your needs may change. A design that looks impressive to other people won’t necessarily work well day to day.

Other mistakes include:

• Allowing the design to outgrow the budget: Set a realistic construction limit early so the plans don’t develop beyond what you can comfortably afford.
• Unrealistic approval and construction dates: Understand the likely approval pathway before making commitments about when the build will start.
• Comparing fees without comparing scope: A $5,000 drawing package plus GST and a $30,000 architectural proposal plus GST may cover very different services.

Final thoughts

A building designer may suit a clear residential brief, while an architect may add value to a highly tailored or difficult project. The site, service scope and relevant experience matter more than the title alone.

Choose according to the help you need during design, approvals and construction. Check registration where required and compare the inclusions, exclusions and continued support in each proposal.

When you’re ready to proceed, submit one clear brief, compare free quotes through Bark and review each professional’s scope before committing.